George C. Eichhorn Papers

NOTE: The numbers cited in parentheses, e.g. 1:5, refer the researcher to the Series#:Folder# in which that name/topic will be found.

INTRODUCTION

George C. Eichhorn worked for the City of Greensboro as a purchasing agent in the 1920s-1930s and became the city’s first director of traffic safety before transferring to Vick Chemical Company. This collection consists primarily of printed materials from his time with the city, including traffic reports and Greensboro’s first police handbook. While it is quite small, it provides insight into Eichhorn’s many roles and accomplishments within the City of Greensboro.

Arrangement: This collection is organized into four series and arranged within series by subject, title, or document type. The series are: City of Greensboro, ca. 1932-1937; Correspondence, 1937; Miscellaneous, ca. 1923-1937; and Printed Materials, ca. 1928-1966.

Provenance: This collection was donated by C. Richard Eichhorn in December 1993 and assigned accession number 1993.110.1.

Processing: This collection was organized by Archivist Elise Allison in January 2017, and the finding aid was prepared by volunteer Elizabeth Moore in March 2017.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

Born in Norfolk, Virginia, George C. Eichhorn (1901-1983) moved to Greensboro in 1912. He worked for three years for Southern Railway, where he oversaw loss, damage, and overcharge claims, and then with the radio division of Independent Wireless Company.

In 1924, Eichhorn joined the City of Greensboro as an auditor and quickly advanced as a purchasing agent. He became the City Clerk and Treasurer in 1931, and was appointed Greensboro’s first director of traffic safety three years later. During this time, Eichhorn prepared several traffic reports, suggested ways to improve traffic safety in Greensboro, and wrote the city’s first police officer’s manual.

Eichhorn left the City of Greensboro in 1937 to join Vick Chemical Co. as a purchasing agent. His accomplishments at Vick included helping Brazil become the largest producer of menthol. In 1951, he was appointed president and general manager of the Vick Manufacturing Division of Richardson-Merrill Inc., and he became vice president of Richardson-Merrill shortly before his retirement in 1966.

George Eichhorn married Hermene Warlick and had one son, Charles Richard Eichhorn. He was a member of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church and was involved in numerous civic organizations, serving as president of the Greensboro Rotary Club and the Community Arts Council, director of the United Fund, and treasurer of the Greensboro Chamber Music Society. After his retirement, Eichhorn served the Smith Richardson Foundation in various capacities, including as a trustee, until his death in 1983.

Biographical Sources: The biographical information was gathered from materials in the collection, Ancestry.com, an article about Eichhorn’s retirement in Greensboro Vick (May 1966), and Eichhorn’s obituary (Greensboro Daily News, November 2, 1983).

SCOPE & CONTENT NOTE

The types of materials in this collection include correspondence, a photograph, and printed materials, particularly newspaper clippings, periodicals, and reports written by Eichhorn. Most items pertain to Eichhorn’s work for the City of Greensboro during the 1930s, with some information on his transfer and contributions to Vick Chemical Company.

SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

1. City of Greensboro. 5 folders (8 items). ca. 1932-1937.

This series contains materials relating to Eichhorn’s work for the City of Greensboro during the 1930s. The photo shows Eichhorn with a group of unidentified city officials (1:1), while a report he wrote discusses the development of centralized purchasing in the city and outlines the responsibilities of the purchasing agent (1:3). The 1937 police handbook not only describes the duties of police officers but also provides legal definitions as well as information on and locations of main streets in Greensboro (1:2). Traffic reports, which Eichhorn wrote while serving as the first director of traffic safety, provide statistics for traffic accidents and injuries, describe existing signs and signals, and advocate for better traffic education initiatives (1:4-5).

2. Correspondence. 1 folder (1 item). 1937.

Earl J. Reeder, Secretary of the Street and Highway Traffic Section of the National Safety Council, sent this letter to Eichhorn in response to Eichhorn’s earlier letter announcing his move to Vick Chemical Co.

3. Miscellaneous. 2 folders (5 items). ca. 1923-1937.

“Practical Plans for a Safety Campaign,” a report by Eichhorn, outlines the ways in which municipalities can maintain a traffic safety campaign, including collecting data about traffic incidents and teaching children about vehicular safety (3:1). Also included in this series are two radio operator licenses, Eichhorn’s radio operator’s record, and a course packet on radio abstracting (3:2).

4. Printed Materials. 6 folders. (31 items). ca. 1928-1966.

This series contains a variety of printed materials, including a page from the Greensboro Daily News with air raid instructions (December 14, 1941; 4:2) and an issue of Time (May 7, 1945; 4:5). Southern City (p. 7; 4:4) and North Carolina Municipal News (p. 3; 4:3) include brief profiles of Eichhorn during his time as purchasing agent for the City of Greensboro. The newspaper clippings (4:2) provide details on his work for the city, as well as some information about his accomplishments with Vick Chemical Company. An issue of Vicks Family News (May 1944; 4:6) tells about Eichhorn’s election as Vice President of Vick of North Carolina and his appointment as leader of the Purchasing-Plants-Production Division. The school newspaper entitled “Irving Echoes” was edited by Eichhorn’s son, C.R. Eichhorn (1930s; 4:1).